Day: April 30, 2017

I never really figured out the ‘proper’ way to write this for my readers, or maybe specifically to the people who are interested in what I do or the area I specialize in.

Truth is, there is no proper way. And it’s better this way because now you get my honest, original and deep-hearted feelings for this.

My goal is to inform and inspire you. Get you out of that comfort zone, because living starts when you leave that sheltered circle and experience life the way you only dreamt it to be.

All I know is the beauty/wellness industry is making an all-time high in both product/informational profit and services itself. Which is why I chose this opportunity to take it and to chase it down as my own.

It’s actually pretty crazy to not see many people doing what I do, but I think that’s because no one really knows it’s a thing.

And that’s where I come in – to brag how this was the best discovery I ever made.

You may not want to be a writer, but you may want to be a chemist whipping up the next hit foundation recipe for Too Faced Cosmetics or you may want to travel to Australia to discuss the product expansion of Paul Mitchell Hair Care, didn’t know that was a thing or even a job?

Welcome to the beauty industry.

So when did this start for me? It really all began in 5th grade when my mom took me every week to get my nails done – best woman ever by the way.

Since then I just sort of fell in love with the idea of being glammed up and feeling beautiful. I was the girl in middle school trying out blue eyeshadow and wearing wedges to school on the daily (nothing wrong with that, obviously).

I felt pretty, and sort of invincible. Like no one could break my confidence because the lip gloss I wore made me feel beautiful on the outside and on the inside.

So why did I not go to Cosmo school? Hm, long story. Since I was a little girl I really only pictured myself going to college. I’m a first generation to go to school in the United States so this was a certain value and achievement upheld by my family since basically birth. But make no mistake, my first few months in college I was confused as hell walking around campus with not a damn clue what I was doing with my life. It’s okay, we all go through that.

I joined The Rotunda, my school’s newspaper led by students, right before winter break because I knew I had a knack for writing. I don’t know what it is, but my thoughts flow together on paper better than they do when I speak (working on that though very slowly lol).

My first article was about cats vs dogs and which one suits your personality better. I know I know, great pitch Pauly.

My editor-in-chief said my first piece was great but it lacked substance, and that really stuck with me.

It lacked substance because it wasn’t the real me. And it was crazy how my editor-in-chief, whom I had just met at the time, knew this wasn’t my real work; this wasn’t my blood on the paper.

For days I tried to think of my next pitch and nothing stuck with me that I actually wanted to write about. I thought to myself, what can I write that would be appropriate for a newspaper? What can I even contribute to this team with?

And a light bulb flickered in my head.

What have I been so deeply passionate about my whole life? Makeup. Seriously, I could write for hours on any topic about this.

I thought deeper into this idea and realized, why not write about all things beauty/wellness? That was me taking it one step further.

And of course, I had never seen or heard of a big-time beauty journalist or even a column for this in a newspaper. This was out of the blue, new and kind of terrifying.

When was the last time your school wrote about the best place in town to get a bikini wax? Probably never. And I wanted to change that.

I approached this idea to my editor-in-chief and she was actually ecstatic about this beauty column. She wanted me to do this. She saw potential in me. And that was all I needed to start something revolutionary.

Over the weeks, I became so obsessed with the idea of writing about what I loved and being GOOD at it. Writing and beauty. Who would’ve thought?

My beauty column was a success, but how do I continue this adventure? I didn’t want it to end outside of my newspaper meetings once a week.

So how can I turn this passion of mine into a dream career?

One night I simply started researching real, in-demand careers around this field and BOOM, an industry I had no idea had so much behind-the-scenes work.

Women and men in this industry bring themselves to the table as the business itself, the entrepreneur and the glam-life dream for all us beauty fanatics. #Goals

Let me list some careers out there specifically in the beauty/wellness industry.

Makeup chemist

Beauty and Fashion journalist/editor

Social media manager

Photographer

Public Relations representative

Global strategic marketing coordinator

Styling and Visual coordinator

Retail and e-commerce operations

Software engineer/graphic designer

Financial and data analyst

Production planner

I mean the list goes on and on, seriously. For every company out there selling products or information associated with makeup, hair, skin, nails, clothes, etc. There’s a whole world out there I was oblivious to and it’s mind-blowing because I was a part of it all along. Just as the consumer.

I was dragging my head through the mud before this discovery thinking welp, made it to college…what do I do now?

Well, I hit the jack pot.

I got the best of both worlds. My passion for beauty and an industry needing people like me.

Why does no one know about this? Why isn’t my Twitter, Facebook or Instagram raving about this booming industry?!

That’s because everyone associates the beauty realm by just its services and store retail.

I’m here to break the news, there’s a whole corporatelevel out there needing people like you and me to work for them. You know, the whole reason why brands and stores are running the way they are, it’s all behind the scenes work by headquarters level.

The jobs I listed above for the most part require a Bachelors or Associates degree. But that’s the audience I want to target the most for this article, if you’re a beauty enthusiast like me and in college or hope to attend college, why not dive into this industry who need to spread the word. Surely, you don’t NEED a degree to break through. But that’s beside the point and I can talk about that later.

Imagine driving to your first business meeting in Los Angeles, California to talk about the new YouTube ad for your brand, Smashbox Cosmetics?

If that sounds exciting to you, there’s a world out there desperately trying to find creative and fresh minds like yours to work for their leading-businesses.

Bottom line, this leap of faith I took to combine my strength (writing) and my passion (beauty) together was a courageous act. To be honest, I had no idea if it was going to work. And that’s the beauty of it all.

Take chances.

Live with minimal regret.

Research and inform yourself.

Find a way to sculpt your dream career.

Connect with people who have your dream career already and don’t be afraid to reach out.

Anything is possible.

If it’s not out there, create it.

The world is yours to take. Literally.

I can’t believe months ago, I created this dream for myself. And I hope to see that in you too even if it’s not in this industry.

We tend to look at successful individuals as aliens and ponder how they did it. Truth is, they’re regular people just like you and me. The only difference is they’re on phase two: committing to action.

So I have a lot of people asking me how I did it and what I do.

As far as what I do, I write all things beauty and wellness. For people like you and me.

Why trust me? Like I said, I’ve been in this beauty realm since I was 10 years old. So yeah, this isn’t some hobby I picked up one day on Instagram.

It’s been my life and I’m heavily informed of it. I stay up to date with companies, brands, social media and beauty/wellness publications everyday.

What I hope to accomplish? Tough question. I just opened this gate to a whole new industry, so there’s a lot more to explore. My major in college gives me a lot of leeway to really do anything in the digital-ish business aspect of it all. Who knows what I’ll end up marketing myself as by the time I graduate.

For right now, journalism has been my niche, specifically the focus of beauty and wellness. I hope to write for a lifestyle/beauty magazine or company, attend fashion week in Rome and conduct interviews with the masterminds of the Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit and their gorilla glue eyebrow gel. -Seriously, have you tried it? It’s magic glue for your eyebrows-

Point is, I never let these goals stop emerging from my head.

I created my very own website to publish my work and solidify myself as a respectable journalist for readers all over the world.

Maybe one day, I’ll be the CEO of my own magazine publication. Who knows?

So you’re one of the few people who’ve read this far? CONGRATS. Is it because I’ve opened your eyes to this industry you’ve been so desperately trying to stay a part of but not so sure how to make a career out of it? Mission accomplished.

Whatever it is, go for it.

Don’t be afraid to take chances.

Whatever major you’re studying right now, alter it to fit your passion in life.

Invent something new.

If I was truly terrified and doubtful, I wouldn’t be here writing about how this is the best job a girl like me could ever ask for. And sadly, you wouldn’t be here trying to create your own wave.

You have the spark deep inside yourself, let it loose and let it take you to where you’ve always wanted to be.

Most importantly, don’t let the fear of judgment prevent you from pursuing this.

I can’t stress this enough. As of lately, I’ve really been trying to sell myself on social media as an educated beauty journalist. If I let the fear of other people judging boil inside me for one second, I’ve already lost sight of the dream.

Who cares what other people think?

If what you’re doing makes you happy, ride that thing till the wheels fall off.

I know self-advertising can be kind of awkward but that’s the hardest phase of it all. Break through it. I did it and so can you.

Your real friends will stay and support you. Don’t worry, by the time you’ve made it big, you’ll be thankful for the people who left your life and for the people who uplifted it.

This is your journey. Why are you letting other people steer for you?

If I was the CEO of a company, I’d definitely hire the individual giving 100 percent into their proud work, rather than the shy candidate embarrassed to tweet about their own article. These successful individuals are confident, motivated and FEARLESS. Get the picture?

I’m very passionate about this and I’m surprised to see not many people informed about this industry. It’s out there and it’s waiting for people like you and me. We just have to find it and sculpt a career out of it with our resources.

So now I’m a Communication studies major with a concentration in Digital/Mass Media and a minor in Business Administration. This may sound like a lot of work, but all I know is I’ll have a career out there waiting for me to take my throne by the time I graduate.

And as much as I have loved making my first mark on Longwood campus, I can’t wait to start my own revolution in the industry I know I was made to be a part of.

Because I know I can. And you can too.

But whatever you do, start now. What are you waiting for?

Talk soon beauties, XOXO ~

Questions about this article? My field specifically? How to get started? How to self-advertise? Reply in the comments what you want to hear me talk about next!